River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-05-12

WIS Il ilulilbtI Oh army OtuttIs SICK
soldiers. suffers and their clerks, and a
number of correspondents whom | did
not know. Among them was the wag-
gish Frank ID. Chapman, of the New
York Herald. whose headquarters was
generally either in the bar or billiard
room of the National Hotel, Washing
ton. He saw me ride up to the station
covered with dust, and as soon rs the
guard on the train had examined my
pass. he went TO the officer in charge
and from him ascertained that | was
Tribune man, and fresh from the front,
as my pass was dated at army head
quarters that very morning The pass
was written in pencil and by NJ. r.
Patrick, Provost Marshal General.
The train was scarcely under way
when Chapman took a seat by my side
and at once entered into conversation
and gradually applied pumping pro-
cess to find on. what the army had done
at Kelly's Ford and the nature of the
news was evidently carrying to Wash
ington. He knew | had news, not on
" from the nature of my avocation, but
the glazing envelope told him the truth
plainly. He professed to be the sutler
of Western regiment, but | was con-
WINGED he was newspaper man and
gave him no information whatever. He
was ..hail fellow well met with every
body, apparently, and passed cigars
and familiar-looking black bottle
around with generous frequency, and
his supply of cigars and black bottles
seemed literally ineXhaustible. One
thing especially attracted my attention.
He was cheek-by-iowl with the officer
in charge Of the train guard, fine
looking fellow belonging to the -Four
teenth New York, if my memory serves
me right When he found | could not
be pumped he left me, but he was not
done with me, however, as will pres
emily appear. When the train slowed
up at Alexandria Chapman disappeared
rs suddenly. and rs unaccountably as a
harlequin through stage, and almost
ut the same moment | missed my red
envelope.
Twas morally certain he had abstract
ed it from my pocket, but what was |
to do about it? | knew the police
would not interfere, as it must have
been taken outside of the city limits,
and besides, the place was under mar
tial law. In few hours my news
would be absolutely worthless. While
was bordering over the matter the
officer of the guard before mentioned
was relieved by another, and | saw him
point towards me before leaving. The
new officer came directly to me and de-
manded to see my pass. After scrutin-
ling it for a moment he said he had
serious doubts about its being genuine,
that it was not on the usual printed
form, and ii was written in pencil and
did not much resemble the signature of
General Patrick, and he informed me
bluntly that he would not permit me to
cross the Potomac on the pass unless
would get it countersigned by Colonel
Devereux. whose office was close at
hand. 1t was in vain that ] pro-
tested that General Patrick had written
the pass on piece of paper torn from
nv notebook. The fellow was obdur-
ate, and | was obliged to leave the
train, and before | could see Colonel
Devereux and have it approved the
train moved away, and my last chance
of reaching Washington that evening
was gone.
The Herald next day contained the
gist of Mr. Byington's dispatch, some
parts of it being verbatim. | sent the
best account of the affair at Kelly's
Ford that could from Alexandria by
telegraph and tried to keep the matter
secret. but murder will out" and
the wicked jokes and guys of my
associates goaded me almost to despera-
4 ton.
Late in November. 1868, General
Meade threw his army across the
Rapidan. crossing that stream at Ger
mania ford, and on the 9th General
/ Warren, who led the advance, became
holly engaged with the enemy in the
vicinity of Mine run. On the follow
! ing morning, contrary TO the express
orders of the commanding general,
started for Brandy Station for tie pur-
pose of getting the news to my paper.
The country intervening between Mine
Run and the former place was actually
swarming with guerrillas and Con-
federate scouting parties and the under
I taking was attended with great danger.
But reached Brandy Station and found
il in the hands of the enemy's cavalry.
Without attracting attention Imade a
detour and rode to Rappahannock sta
ton. few miles to the east, where
was arrested by our pickets and held in
durance for several hours by General
Henley, commandment of the post, and
also of the Maryland Brigade. The
general informed me that in his opinion
no honest man would dare or had any
business to pass through the country
had Just trayersed. l was soon Hber
ated, however, BIZ a dispatch from See
retary Stanton. to whom | had sent al
explanatory telegram. Stanton haC
received no information of the engage
ment at Mine run other than the repor
that heavy canonading had been hear'
in the direction of Orange Court House
He requested me to forward my dis
patches to him by the military tele
graph. promising to transmit them Z
the paper literally, should they contain
no information of an Objectionable o
contraband nature. He was as good a
! his word. for l sent him as complete a
account of the operations of the arm
as had in my possession. and he i
{ turn forwarded il to New York, an
J General Wool promulgated his usu'
bulletin on the information the Wa
Department had thus obtained
When ut last boarded the tain Z
: Rappahannock Station almost the fir
person | encountered was the ubiqu
tous Chapman. He wanted news an
proceeded in a business-like manner